Jack Kerouac's New York City

The following is a list of places in New York City
where Jack Kerouac once roamed, drank or lived.

Jack Kerouac- merchant marine.

The White Horse Tavern 567 Hudson St.Google Map
Kerouac used to live across the street from this old 19th century tavern. It is said that the old wooden bar room hasnt changed at all. The side rooms are relatively recent additions. This place is a crowded nightmare on weekend nights. Go there on a weekday around 1 o'clock, take a seat at the bar and soak up the atmosphere. They have a decent selection of beer, including White Horse Ale. The food is good too. Other great writers who got blitzed at the White Horse: Dylan Thomas, Norman Mailer, Hunter S. Thompson.

Saint Patricks's Cathedral- 5th Ave. and 49th St.Google Map
Located in Midtown, just a stones throw from Rockefeller center, this beautiful gothic cathedral was a place of spiritual solace for Kerouac. Take your copy of Visons of Cody and see if you can find Jack's stained glass window.

McSorley's Old Ale House- 15 E. 7th St.Google Map
Established in 1854, this is New York's oldest bar. Four U.S presidents including Lincoln and Kennedy visited this bar. As far as I know Kerouac made no mention of it in any of his writings, but it seems impossible to me that he didn't drink here. Everything in this bar looks ancient- from the doors to the urinals. They serve only two beers- McSorley's Light and McSorley's Dark. One round consists of 2 mugs of beer. Each mug is about 3/5th's beer and 2/5th's foam. Since it is both a tourist trap and local favorite it is often very crowded. Get there before 4 and you should be able to find a table.

The former Hurley's Saloon- 6th Ave. and 49th St.Google Map"Following Lee Konitz the famous alto jazzman and don't even know what for- saw him first in that bar on the northeast corner of 49th and Sixth Avenue which is in a real old building that nobody ever notices because it forms the pebble at the hem of the shoe of the immense tall man which is the RCA building."
The building Kerouac wrote of is there today but the old saloon inside is gone, replaced by a chic restaurant. I visited Hurley's before it closed. Downstairs was a lively and often crowded bar where no doubt the pints were expensive. There was a beautiful old staircase leading to a pricey upstairs restaurant. The place still had atmosphere- that indescribable feeling of oldness that goes beyond words. That atmosphere was gutted along with the saloon, but the exterior is still very much the same.

Manny's Music StoreGoogle Map
Jack followed Lee Konitz to this "music store of hipsters and Symphony Sid". Buy a guitar pick or just dig the wall of autographed photos.

Washington Square Park- at the tail end of 5th Avenue.Google Map
Still a great place to kick back and stare at strangers. Many people are unaware that there are over 10,000 bodies buried beneath the soil- all executed. The hanging tree still looms at the northwest corner of the park.

Statue of Samuel Cox- 7th St. near the corner of Avenue A.Google Map
In a city filled with innumerable landmarks, memorials, and statues, one might easily pass by the statue of Samuel Cox in the East Village without even noticing. Yet it is notable for fans of Kerouac because of Allen Ginsberg's remarkable photograph of Jack walking, mouth agape, past the statue.

Minetta Tavern- 113 MacDougal St.Google Map
This old Italian restaurant is still operating. Certainly, the atmosphere must have changed in the years since Burroughs would treat Kerouac and others to fine dinners.

Cafe Reggio- 121 MacDougal St.Google MapView Photo
Established in 1927, the Cafe Reggio is one of the last remaining cafes from the original bohemian heyday of the Village is also famous for being the site of a JKF speech and scenes in Godfather II and Shaft.

Gas Light Cafe- 116 MacDougal St.Google Map
The Gas Light was homebase of the poetry reading scene in the Village. Jack and all the greats read there. It was also a music venue where Bob Dylan played. For a time, he even resided in an upstairs apartment

Kettle of Fish- 114 MacDougal St.Google Map
A favorite beat generation hangout. Site of Kerouac GAP ad (shown on the right). Here Bob Zimmerman almost came to blows with Andy Warhol over a certain girl..

Apartment building- 421 W.118th St.Google Map
In the early 40's, Kerouac lived here with Edie in a sixth floor 4 bedroom apartment. It was where he first met Ginsberg and Burroughs. It's also where he got arrested for getting mixed up in the David Kammerer murder. When Lucian Carr came here after killing David, they decided to hide the murder weapon in nearby Morningside Park where they dropped it into a storm drain.

Apartment building- 554 W.113th St.Google Map
Kerouac lived here with Joyce Glassman Johnson in 1957, shortly after the publication of On the Road.

Jack and Joan's apartment- 454 W.20th St.Google Map
The apartment where Jack wrote On The Road in 1951. Walk to the corner of W.20th and 7th Ave and stand where Sal Paradise and Dean say their goodbyes at the end of the book.

Lucian Carr's apartment- 149 W.21st St.Google Map
Lucian's place from 1950-1951. Kerouac visited him often, and finally moved into this neighborhood with his wife Joan. Bill Cannastra also lived in a nearby building that is now sadly a parking lot.

Lucian Carr's apartment- 92 Grove St.Google Map
The beat scene started in the Columbia University/Harlem area and slowy migrated downtown to the village. Lucian had a beautiful little apartment in this building overlooking a small park. Jack and Lucian once snuck out of the apartment by using the fire escape when the girls werent looking- Jack fell and injured his head.